Blackhawks-Bruins quick-hitters

A few quick-hitters on the Bruins' 3-0 win over the Blackhawks on Thursday at TD Garden.

By Dan CagenDaily News staff

BOSTON — A few quick-hitters on the Bruins' 3-0 win over the Blackhawks on Thursday at TD Garden.

LINE MATCHING: The Blackhawks have the luxury of essentially having two No. 1 defensive pairings. The emergence of Niklas Hjalmarsson and Johnny Oduya has allowed Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook to better take advantage of their offensive capabilities.

In the Stanley Cup Final last year, Keith and Seabrook were matched up with the Bruins' offensive No. 1 line led by David Krejci. On Thursday, Hjalmarsson and Oduya took the heavy labor — not that facing Patrice Bergeron is much easier. That allowed Keith and Seabrook to cheat a little more offensively.

It's been a big reason the Blackhawks once again have one of the league's best and fastest offenses. There may not be a player who makes a better first pass than Keith, the NHL's leader in assists by a defenseman.

Oduya and Hjalmarsson did their job Thursday, keeping the Krejci line off the scoreboard and to a combined three shots. However, Keith couldn't spark an offense that was clogged up by the Bruins' disciplined defense.

Should these teams meet again in another Cup Final, the line matching just one more subplot to keep an eye on.

SELKE WATCH: Another one of the games within the game, one that Lucic was very much looking forward to, was the Selke battle between Patrice Bergeron and Jonathan Toews.

Score this one to the Bruins' alternate captain.

Bergeron got two goals, extending his goal streak to five, and his line controlled the Toews' group of Kris Versteeg, Toews and Marian Hossa to a combined five shots. Bergeron increased his league lead in plus/minus (yes, a flawed stat at times) to plus-38. He won 15-of-21 faceoffs.

Early in the season, Bergeron couldn't get the breaks. He was still coming back from the effects of his car-crash-type injuries in the Final. Now he's been a dominant player. The Selke may be his again.

TUUKKA TIME: Speaking of awards, Tuukka Rask may be emerging as the frontrunner for his first Vezina Trophy.

Rask made 28 saves, and although they weren't all Grade-A chances, he did plenty. The Hawks' early flurry was tossed back as well as their opening power play, in large part by the goalie. Rask also stoned Andrew Shaw on a breakaway in the second period, Chicago's best chance to tie the game.

Rask is now the league leader in goalies with more than 40 games in GAA (2.01), save percentage (.931) and shutouts (seven).

ETC.: Matt Bartkowski got off to a tough start, falling behind Patrick Sharp and holding him on his first shift, but caught up and was more solid as the game went on. Bartkowski's pass to Bergeron was spot on for the goal. … No Bruin played less than 11 minutes or more than 22 minutes. That's a great sign as they enter a weekend back-to-back. … After getting six power plays Monday, the Bruins were again limited to just one, in the first period off a Hjalmarsson trip.